We are requesting funds to continue a Neurogenetics Undergraduate Summer Research program in the Center for Human Genetic Research at Massachusetts General Hospital. This program was originally funded by 10 ARRA summer supplements awarded to existing NINDS-funded grants that were 'bundled'in order to create a unique, focused training program. We have formed an alliance with Eckerd College, a small undergraduate liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, Florida, to offer summer research opportunities to incoming junior and senior students. Eckerd College is a truly unique institution with a strong focus on the sciences, and our program provides the opportunity for students to get hands-on research experience in an environment that is not typically available. This program will offer the students an opportunity to work in NIH funded laboratories performing cutting- edge translational research in an exceptional environment. As funding becomes increasingly scarce, it is imperative that we continue to provide summer research opportunities to students who have never before worked in research laboratories. These experiences frequently change their career paths and provide them with an important foundation for continuing graduate education.

Public Health Relevance

The goal of this program is to provide unique summer research opportunities to undergraduate science students. The Neurogenetics Undergraduate Summer Research program is a partnership between the Center for Human Genetic Research (CHGR) at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and Eckerd College, a small undergraduate liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, FL. This program will offer undergraduate students the opportunity to work in NIH funded laboratories performing cutting-edge translational research in an exceptional environment, which will provide them with an important foundation for continuing graduate education and eventual careers in biomedical research.